Bacon Cheeseburger Kale Salad

Ingredients

• ¾ lb. 85% lean ground beef
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 8 cups baby kale
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 slices crispy cooked bacon, crumbled
• ¾ cup shredded cheddar
• ⅓ cup dill pickle slices
• Hamburger Bun Croutons (recipe below)
• Secret Sauce Salad Dressing (recipe below)

Hamburger Bun Croutons

• 3 hamburger buns, cut into cubes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt

Secret Sauce Salad Dressing

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 Tbsp dill pickle juice

Instructions

• Add ground beef to a large skillet over medium heat and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon or spatula, until no longer pink, 7-10 minutes.
• Stir salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder into the ground beef. 
• Add kale to a large serving bowl. Top with tomatoes, sliced onion, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar, and dill pickle slices. Using a slotted spoon, remove ground beef from skillet (leaving any extra oil behind) and add to salad. Top with hamburger bun croutons.
• Drizzle dressing over the salad, toss, and serve in individual bowls.

Hamburger Bun Croutons

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, toss together cubed hamburger buns, olive oil, and salt. Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes, until nice and crispy. 

Secret Sauce Salad Dressing

• In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, and dill pickle juice until smooth.